


She's family

by Eternalmomentss



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Based on a Tumblr Post, Family Dynamics, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Hugs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:07:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25148194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eternalmomentss/pseuds/Eternalmomentss
Summary: The first time Ezran refers to Rayla as family
Relationships: Callum & Ezran & Rayla (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	She's family

Rayla looked up to the starry firmament above her head. The night was exceptionally mesmerising, with the ethereal full moon bathing the whole forest in a mystical yet familiar glow. Every star was out and there wasn’t a single cloud in the dark blue sky.   
The Moonshadow Elf caught herself sighing contently as she took it all in. She was lying on a thick branch of an old oak tree, hands behind her head and both of her feet dangling down on either side. Her snow-white hair was sprawled out and messy, some branches and leaves weaved into the locks, but Rayla couldn’t care less.  
The forest floor underneath was brought to life by the steady rhythm of the two princes’ gentle snores.   
They had insisted on staying down on the ground for the night, with Rayla promising she’d keep watch, just in case. After all, they were carrying the most precious treasure and the last chance for peace between Xadia and all the Human Kingdoms, which happened to be the most adorable little baby dragon she had ever seen.   
Well, also the only baby dragon she’d ever seen.

And well-, the Elf thought to herself, Loosing the two boys would also be- well- not good. Really bad. Terrible, to be honest. 

She narrowed her eyes and started nibbling on her bottom lip. She thought back to what the three of them had already been through together; a lot.  
They were a team now, they would go all the way to Xadia together and get Zym home and Rayla was really not looking forward to sailing over the ocean and all that but she really had no other choice and oh please let this be a fast boat and it would also be very nice if she could just pass this village without anyone getting suspicious of her because that went oh so smoothly last time.   
Only then, the Elf found her thoughts drifting off near dangerous territory.  
What if this wasn’t going to work? What if they cannot find a captain or Rayla would get spotted and hunted down by a group of angry villagers.   
She was a failure after all. Hated by the humans, no capable assassin, a disgrace to the people who raised and loved her and- and a liar too.  
Her heart began to race as all these wild and treacherous thoughts crossed her mind in seconds and made her forehead throb. Where did this all come from all of sudden and why was she thinking about it now, for the moon’s sake?  
There was no way she would be so much as able to think about sleep right now that her mind was so wide awake and scattered. Maybe going on a nice little moonlight stroll would be a good way to clear her head.

Rayla sat up straight, while letting out a small puff of breath. She turned to grab her two swords that were securely stuck in the little branch above her head and climbed down the tree as quietly as possible, trying not to wake up the two boys; the operative word being trying.  
Because not a second after she had started to slowly tip toe her way over to the cliff, a tiny voice made her freeze on the spot.

“Rayla?”, sleep drunken and confused, Ez sat up straight and rubbed the dreams from his still half-closed eyes. Zym was whining softly next to him, bumping his little nose into the child’s arm, “What are you doing?”

“Oh, nothing-“, Rayla shook her head, “just go back to sleep, Ez.”  
How very convincing, she thought.

“Are you sure?”, Ez cocked his head to the side, “You seem kind of troubled.”

“What- me, troubled?”, Rayla wagged her hand as if to shoo away an irritating insect, snorting nervously, “What are you talking about? I’m not troubled, no one is troubled. Are you troubled, Ez?”

The young prin-king dragged himself up to his feet, causing Zym to wake from his slumber as well. The baby dragon cooed in confusion. 

“Are you worried?”

Rayla’s eyes widened and she was about to open her mouth and assure Ez that No, of course I am not worried, I am never worried, everything will work out perfectly, but decided against it, keeping quiet.   
Because she took one look the young kid and his huge and honest blue eyes and decided that she wouldn’t tell him more lies, not even this tiny one.

“Maybe a little bit.”, confessed the Elf eventually, her voice steady and sincere. 

She turned around to look at the vast ocean. Bad idea, because looking at the waves did not only send a massive shiver down her spine, but made her stomach curl as well. 

“Aw, don’t worry!”, Ez, who was now holding the confused Zym to his chest, shuffled closer with a smile, “We’ll be off that boat in no time, I promise. You won’t even feel like we are at sea!”

Rayla gave him a grateful smile, before gently ruffling the boy’s hair, “Thank you, Ez-“, she said softly, as the young king giggled and tried batting the Elf’s hand away, “You should go back to sleep now, or else-“

“Hey, what are you two doing here?”

Rayla, Ez and Zym jumped as Callum’s voice reached their ears.

The older prince was standing behind them, his hands placed on his hips, eyebrows raised up to his hairline and a tiny pout on his lips. He looked slightly offended, like they’d just planned a secret team meeting and forgot to tell him. He also looked like a complete mess, his hair sticking up in all directions.

“Your bed head is really cute.”, Rayla snorted, totally not meaning it, you heard it she did not mean it in the slightest, “You should leave it this way.”

Callum balled his fists, a deep red blush furiously colouring his cheeks, before he tried to smooth down his hazel hair with both his hands.

Ez and Zym laughed out loud, the dragon wiggling happily in the young boy’s arms. 

“Ha. Ha.”, Callum deadpanned.  
He shook his head before slowly stepping closer. “But really- “, he crossed his arms and looked at Rayla with a demanding look in his green eyes, “What’s going on?”

Rayla rolled her eyes, groaning at the question. She really didn’t mean for the whole group to be wide awake in the middle of the night, right before such a big day.   
“It’s nothing-“, she mumbled, “Go to sleep.”

“But you said you’re worried.”, Ez remarked and Zym screeched in agreement. 

“You’re worried?”, Callum asked and suddenly his voice was low and soft. He sounded genuinely concerned, “Why?”

Rayla couldn’t tell what it was exactly, but when she looked at Callum, she could tell that he truly cared. She could also tell that he was sad and tired and maybe - just maybe, he felt the same way she did.   
Maybe it would be good to just talk.

“I don’t know exactly.”, The Elf confessed and flopped onto the mossy ground, absentmindedly plucking the grass blades out of the dirt, “It’s just-“, she shook her head, groaning at herself. Why was it so hard to find the right words in these kinds of situations?   
There were so many thoughts in her head that she couldn’t possibly sort them or even put them into words.

Ezran and Callum exchanged a telling look, before they both sat down next to their Moonshadow Elf.   
Zym crawled out of Ezran’s grip and wooed softly, sniffing Rayla’s hand before pressing his tiny head against it.   
The Elf smiled, softly scratching the dragon’s skin, her heart growing in size.

“Look, Rayla-“, Callum bit his lip while his eyes were darting all over the ground and he caught himself tensing and untensing his toes, “It’s okay to be scared-“, he gulped, “I think?”  
He looked at his brother who nodded his head.

“I’m not scared.”, the Elf said in a sharp tone. A bit too sharp, she realized as the two boys widened their eyes in slight shock. She furrowed her brows and looked to the side, mumbling: “Sorry.”

“I’m worried, too.”, said Callum meekly, before he started to play with his shoelace, “I think we all have our doubts and all that.”

The prince placed his hand on Rayla’s leg and the Elf’s heart send a wave of pleasant warmth through her body. These two actions were not in any case related, by the way.  
Ez nodded his head and took hold of Rayla’s left hand.

“I just hope we make it to Xadia.”, she mumbled.

“Course we will!”, Callum grinned brightly, “I mean look at us.”

Rayla did. She did look at them.  
She looked at the way too young king next to her, who doesn’t even know the course of his destiny yet and who shouldn’t even concern himself with such things.  
She looked at his bright, kind eyes and the red on his cheeks and the sincere goodwill written all over his face.

And she also looked at the young boy with the gentle green eyes sitting right in front of her. The young prince, who was so eager to find his place in the world.   
The one she thought was so brave and kind, but would never admit it in a hundred years.

“Thank you.”, she said and meant it.

“That’s what family does.”, assured Ezran and hugged the baby dragon closer to his chest, “Right, Zym?”  
The dragon cooed in agreement.

“Family.”, Rayla repeated, as she felt something crumble inside of her. Like someone bringing a huge stone wall down to gain access to a whole new land. A whole new feeling.  
Family.   
She liked that.

“Yeah, you’re family!”, Callum beamed and just like that, he threw his arms around the Moonshadow Elf, hugging her tightly and okay wow that was something and oh now Ez was hugging her too.  
Rayla truly hoped the dark of the night would hide her cheeks flush all shades of red.

She’s family.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, thank you for reading!  
> I would appreciate if you leave a kudo and maybe even a comment!  
> Find me on tumblr @eternalmomentss


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